VMblog: Can you give us an update on your upcoming VMworld 2018 sponsorship? How can people find you this year?
Stan Markov: This is the fifth VMworld in a row where the Runecast team is exhibiting. This year you will find us at booth #2835, to the right of the VMware / IoT pavillion. The team will consist of 10 people, so be on the lookout for our colors. Many of the founders and engineers will be there, so you can mingle with the people who drive the Runecast development.
VMblog: Is there anything unique about this year's booth setup? Do you have a theme?
Markov: This year we've collaborated with John Arrasjid, VCDX-001, and will have a book signing session at our booth. His book "It Architect: Foundation in the Art of Infrastructure Design: A Practical Guide for It Architects" is considered by many professionals to be the holy grail of infrastructure design. We'll be giving it away for free at our booth, so make sure to swing by while supplies last.
VMblog: Can you give readers a few reasons why your product or service is considered unique?
Markov: Runecast Analyzer is the industry-first product that correlates known issues from the VMware Knowledge Base and other sources to discover problems with your VMware environment before they happen.
Runecast Analyzer analyzes vSphere logs in real time and performs complex configuration analysis in a matter of seconds, thanks to its patent pending rules engine. It can perform hundreds of thousands of checks in less than a minute.
The Runecast team uses AI-assisted internal platform to continuously update the rules based Runecast Analyzer is fully on-premises highly scalable virtual appliance with minimal footprint. It's a simple OVA that takes minutes to deploy and configure.
Runecast lets you take control of your entire SDDC stack - vSphere, NSX and vSAN. A single dashboard connects to all your vCenters and NSX Managers.
VMblog: Why should a VMworld attendee add you to their MUST SEE list?
Markov: Runecast Analyzer is a must have for any VMware admin and our booth is a MUST SEE! You can be the first ones to get a demo of the latest Runecast version and get a free promo license exclusive for VMworld.
VMblog: Can you give VMblog readers a sneak peek as to what you will be showing off at your booth this year?
Markov: Just like we do every year, we'll be showcasing a new version of our product. This year it will be Runecast Analyzer 2.0. Those who already use Runecast Analyzer will be surprised to see some awesome new functionalities, new UI and many other improvements.
VMblog: How does your company and product fit within the VMware ecosystem?
Markov: We are a company of VMware admins with long experience in the trenches of VMware operations. Our product, Runecast Analyzer, is built to solve the main challenges VMware admins face. Runecast is truly proactive by automating the vast amount of documented knowledge (from the VMware KB, social media, security standards, best practices) to discover risks before they cause major outages. Many other VMware management products focus either on reactive monitoring or performance&capacity reports. Our product addresses a big gap in the VMware management software - protecting your environment proactively against documented known issues.
VMblog: What are you looking forward to most at VMworld this year?
Markov: Meeting, face to face, our users, customers, prospects and people who never heard of Runecast. It is a true honor for us to present the result of our continuous efforts and get direct feedback. VMworld is the biggest platform for us and the face to face interactions are invaluable.
VMblog: What keeps you coming back to VMworld?
Markov: This is our fifth time attending VMworld as a sponsor. This is a great opportunity to showcase the product, learn and share knowledge with the greatest professionals in the industry.
VMblog: Do you remember your first VMworld event? What can you tell us about it? What memories stand out?
Markov: It's a totally different experience going to VMworld as an attendee vs an exhibitor. My first VMworld was in 2010 in Copenhagen, while I was still with IBM. I liked every minute of it - I had been doing VMware for a few years up till that point and I had never met so many people with my interests and similar knowledge in one place. I realized how much I already know but also how much more I have to learn.
What is truly unforgettable for me is the first time I attended VMworld as an exhibitor. The date was August 30, 2015, location San Francisco. We were about to showcase the product of our efforts - Runecast Analyzer version 1.0 - to the world for the very first time. The minute the Solution Exchange doors opened marked the official very first release of our product. Our little New Innovators stand was positioned (ironically) just opposite to the big IBM booth. It was an incredible feeling to see groups of people gathering around little stand and seeing the excitement in their eyes.
VMblog: What do you think we need to do collectively as an ecosystem to strengthen the industry?
Markov: When developing our solutions, we should focus on the real problems we solve and capabilities and value we provide to customers. This may seem like common sense, but I think we all continue seeing products that take wrong turns and evolve into something that doesn't bring the originally intended value. Partnerships are also very important for strengthening the industry. For instance, startups are know to be focused, agile and innovative; bigger companies have the platform to deliver solutions to customers quickly. Partnerships between the two are a great way to deliver value quickly.
VMblog: What do you hope to come away with from exhibiting at VMworld?
Markov: We hope to spread the word about Runecast and the value it brings. We also look forward to collecting some valuable feedback that will shape our roadmap moving forward. We also hope to meet many of our current and future customers!
VMblog: Do you have any tips for first time attendees of VMworld that you'd like to share?
Markov: I have recently shared my 5 quick tips for VMworld attendees in a blog article, but my main advice would be to network as much as possible. Events like VMworld don't happen every day, so it's a great opportunity to exchange knowledge and learn something new first hand.
Most important tip - socialize any time you can - over lunch, at the hangout space, at Solutions Exchange. Get connected and take notes. Your network will help you advance in your knowledge and your career.
VMblog: Attendees always enjoy a good trade show tchotchke. Are you guys giving away anything special or interesting this year?
Markov: Besides the free books mentioned above, we'll be giving away Amazon tablets and the very sought-after Runecasters - small Lego figures that became famous on Twitter for being randomly seen all over the globe.
VMblog: Does your company have any speaking sessions during the show? If so, can you give us the who, what, when and where?
Markov: This year we're having a joint Theater Session with our customer Yoshimasa Yamamoto of Fujisoft Inc. Mr. Yamamoto is a renowned VMware professional from Japan with whom we've managed to establish very close relations over the years.
The session will take place on August 29, 10:50-11:10 AM in the Theater pavillion of the Solution Exchange hall. The number of seats is limited, so make sure to pre-register.
We are also participating in TechFieldDay Extra, which will be streamed live online. Details will be posted on the official TechFieldDay page: http://techfieldday.com/event/vmwu18/.
